Insomnia
by Kirishtu
Summary: During a mission, Neji is horribly wounded. Nothing anyone seems to do makes his predicament any better for him. But wait, who was that who made him smile? Gaara? Part 3 of the Rebirth Quartet
1. Chapter 1

Originally posted on aff 2007-06-27 - 2008-07-16

I.

The day had started innocent enough. Neji had woken to the sound of koto music and rolled over onto his stomach to pound on his alarm clock, effectively shutting off the mechanism. A stretch that popped joints followed before he got out of bed, rolling up his futon and folding his blankets as neatly as he could before he gathered his clothes and headed for the shower. He was greeted by warm water that morning, which told him Hanabi wasn't up yet. So Neji took his time, enjoying the warmth of the spray. He dried and dressed in the bathroom and emerged to nearly run over his youngest cousin, Hanabi glaring defiantly at him until he stepped out of her way. Shaking his head, the young man wandered down the hall in search of Hinata-made breakfast. Neji would never openly admit it, but he enjoyed Hinata's cooking as much as he enjoyed her company. He also wouldn't admit that Hinata would make someone very happy one day because he had the sneaking suspicion his uncle was already starting to make plans to marry Hinata off to one of the other branches and he knew for a fact Hinata was more focused on a particular kunoichi rather than her daughterly duties. After all, when he got stuck with babysitting duty for Shikamaru, he could always resort to bribery with four-year-old Momogi for information why her aunt Ino was always sneaking off.

He found breakfast – eggs, bacon, miso soup, and green tea – waiting for him as Hinata worked to make the rest of the plates for herself, her sister, and her father. He settled in his chair to sip his tea, graciously waiting for the rest of his family to enter the kitchen. Ironically, his uncle deigned to eat his meal in the dining room as was proper while his children ate in the kitchen. Neji assumed Hiashi was planning something and wanted solitude. After breakfast, Neji stepped into the courtyard to practice his katas until Hinata was ready to leave for the Academy. His practice was cut short when Hiashi summoned him to the dining room, the younger jounin staring at his uncle until the man finally spoke.

Neji walked Hinata to the Academy, mulling over what Hiashi had told him. An old friend of his and Neji's father had sent him a curious and unnerving letter, consisting of fears of being killed. Hiashi had then asked Neji to formally register the mission with the proctors before heading out to the city of Taikyutsu to meet with Lord Shimatsu. It seemed easy enough, but then that's how all missions seemed in the beginning. Neji arrived at the office after dropping Hinata off at the Academy and Hanabi with her sensei, and received the first clue that his day was going to take a turn for the worse. It was no secret he and Lee were rivals, brought about and upheld by Lee himself. This not so secret was what led Lee to the missions office in search of his said rival and insinuate himself into Neji's mission. Much to Neji's chagrin, the pair left Konoha together, heading toward Taikyutsu. Neji ignored Lee's firecracker mouth, finally shutting him up when he told Lee to just propose to Sakura and get it over with. The Taijutsu master lapsed into silence until they arrived at the city, more sounds bubbling forth from his mouth too quickly for Neji to keep up. The Hyuuga finally shoved Lee into the streets with the express order to find a suitable engagement ring for Sakura and meet him at the mansion that took up most of a block of the city.

In retrospect, Neji would come to regret that decision in the hours to come, but for now it gave him a respite from that endlessly chattering moron that was his friend. Besides, he didn't need Lee to embarrass the Hyuuga family name. Neji walked carefully up the flagstones to the large twin doors and knocked three times before stepping back. He didn't like the way the doors creaked open at the pull of a slight maid who silently ushered him into the great hall. Neji waited nearly a half hour for the lord to appear, blinking when the man did so, staring at Lord Shimatsu as the man verily danced down the stairs. So startled was he that Neji barely reacted when the man hugged him tight for what seemed to be an hour before letting him go.

"You must be Neji-kun," Shimatsu said cheerily. "You were just a child the last time I saw you."

"Shimatsu-sama, I'm honoured you remember, but I'm not here to reminisce." Neji replied, head tilting to the side as he mentioned the letter. Shimatsu waved a hand as if to dismiss the words.

"I was merely drunk when I wrote that and before I could retrieve it, it was already on its merry way." Shimatsu replied, taking hold of Neji's shoulder. "You must be tired. Are you alone? Good. It wouldn't do to have a private party with extra guests."

Neji twisted away from the man, fighting back the Byakugan. Shimatsu came a bit closer though, ignoring Neji's want for personal space. The more Neji retreated, the closer Shimatsu got until Neji found himself pressed against the wall with the lord pressed against him. Shimatsu's face twisted cruelly then, a wicked smile splitting his lips, leaning closer to Neji, too close.

"Your father didn't like me around you, either." Shimatsu giggled. Neji jerked, his fist lashing out to the little effect it had on the man, a pinprick sending pain through the young jounin's body a moment after his fist went harmlessly past Shimatsu's right ear. Neji swayed, vision darkening, but Shimatsu didn't let him fall, holding the young man close to him, humming softly.

"But your father knew who I was," Shimatsu whispered to Neji's unconscious form. "And your little friend will be received with all due courtesy, should he actually come for you."

Shimatsu hefted Neji up into his arms, cackling as he carried the young man down a dark corridor into pitch black. It wasn't long before Neji woke, pain behind his eyes, in his shoulders, and he blinked in green-lit darkness. He was hanging, he realized, arms behind his back and twisted in such away that if he really tried, his fingers could touch the shoulder blades of the opposite shoulder. He could, if he tried extra hard with much pain to his shoulders, stretch his legs to make his toes scrape cold concrete, what he had to assume was the floor. He was bent in such a way that with his torso forward and his legs down like an upside down "L", it was painful to breathe let alone room. He felt lethargic, his lungs and neck burned and his eyes burned until he closed them against the green glow. He heard a door open and forced his eyes open against the pain to peer into that green glow, shivering when he saw Shimatsu before him, wrapped in a white lab coat. The man was chuckling and he reached out, taking Neji's chin between his fingers and tilted his head up.

"I thought you were a genius, Neji-kun." Shimatsu whispered so lovingly; "I thought you would figure it out by now, even if you have yet to still understand your situation."

Neji couldn't reply, his throat wouldn't work, and he was helpless as Shimatsu's wandering fingers slid up his cheeks to his hitai-ate, pulling it and then the cloth band beneath it off, revealing his curse seal in all its glory. Shimatsu shivered with what Neji could only assume was perverse pleasure and stroked the tattoo until Neji jerked his head away. Shimatsu only cackled and drew away, turning his back on the Hyuuga.

Neji realized, the moment Shimatsu turned back to him with a needle, what was really going on. Neji had met Shimatsu when he had been small, before his father had died. Shimatsu had been friends with Neji's father and uncle. There had been another, though, someone else who was always in the background, first watching, then approaching. Whenever he was around, Neji and Hinata were kept together in a room surrounded by adults from the main branch. His brain jumpstarted a bit then, the pieces falling into place. The letter of fear, asking to send a Hyuuga to investigate, killing all curiosity about a set-up.

"You killed him," Neji rasped out, "You killed him, didn't you?"

The man before him grinned, the mask dropping to reveal a twisted face that was identical to the face he'd worn earlier, barking out laughter that made Neji shiver. Clear liquid spurted from the needle and Neji pulled up on his bruising shoulders, kicking out with enough force to hit the man's hand and force the needle away, fighting and failing to get out of the chains. The man didn't hesitate, punching Neji's nose hard enough to snap his head back. Coughing and spluttering blood, Neji's head fell forward, unable to resist the pull of gravity. A heavy hand tangled in his hair, pulling his head back.

"I was going to give you a painless trial, but now you've gone and ruined it all," the man snarled. "Even my brother knew not to cross me, his older brother Hitatsu, but he did. Be grateful I know how not to kill you, my little canary."

Neji felt his ribs crack under the force of the punch and gasped out a soft breath. The pain was too much now, he couldn't will it away. The young Hyuuga gave in to darkness before Hitatsu released his head from that horrible vice-like hold.


	2. Chapter 2

II.

Lee was panicking. He couldn't find Neji anywhere, not even in the mansion they were supposed to meet at. The girl at the door had told him Neji had never even shown up! He couldn't go back to Konoha. It was two weeks away even with hard travel and Neji needed, or would need, help sooner than that. His only choice then was Sunagakure, three days from Taikyutsu running. The Taijutsu master took off then, determined to get his friend help. He could come to blame himself for leaving so brashly when Neji needed his help.

Neji, on the other hand, wasn't sure if he was conscious or not. His body was on fire, aches and pains announcing their presence in horrible ways, and he felt horribly sick. He still hung, which wasn't helping his broken ribs, and blood from his no doubt broken nose had dried on his face. After he'd fallen unconscious, he didn't know what Hitatsu had done to him. He'd laid the trap well, Neji glumly thought. Using his brother's relationship with Hiashi to get a Hyuuga there, believing Shimatsu was in danger. Capturing and unarming a ninja without warning, Hyuuga or not, was a difficult thing to do. Neji concluded he must not be paranoid enough yet. When he got out, he was going to demand a few years in ANBU so he could claim insanity when he did something stupid, like Kakashi.

He forced his eyes open to find that his situation had not changed. He still hung limply from the hook in the rope. His body still was battered and bruised, and he knew it wasn't over yet. He held in the groan when he saw Hitatsu coming back into the room, grinning over at him, coming closer. Cool fingers slid over Neji's heated face, stroking and soothing. Neji almost gave in, but he wanted his freedom more than going through with surrender.

Hitatsu 'tsk'ed when Neji tried to refuse his proximity and turned away to pick up that long needle again. Clear liquid jumped from the metal tip, forcing air from the syringe. Neji could only watch helplessly as that needle pricked the soft skin of his throat. His breath caught as the liquid was forced into his bloodstream, monstrous cold defeating the heat that ravaged his body. His body was ice and to make everything worse, Hitatsu cut away his shirt, leaving his chest bare. Hot ink was scripted onto his pale skin then, scalding. Neji writhed, screaming, unable to make noise. Hitatsu continued, persisted, and all the ink was finally used up, Neji's body scrawled with archaic runes and flowing script, his skin burned red and raw from the hot ink.

Hitatsu left him then, alone and hurting in the green-lit darkness. Neji let out a breath, tears sliding down his face from the intense pain, trying to breathe and failing. He cried, openly and without shame, just wanting to go home. He wondered where Lee was but decided he didn't care. He wanted to go home. Neji cried himself to sleep, and by then, the ink had already begun to dry.

Lee counted the minutes, staring at the sun as it started to sink below the horizon. He'd reached Sunagakure within two and a half days and had spilled his guts to the council there in a plea for assistance to help him find Neji. The council had deliberated and had kicked him out of the room before he could finish his speech. Neji didn't have the time to wait for the Suna council to allow Lee to lead some nin back to Taikyutsu to save him. Snarling quietly at the thought of his friend being hurt while he waited like a good little ninja, he couldn't wait any longer and Lee left the council building before the council had reached a decision. He couldn't wait any longer, not with Neji's life on the line.

He sensed that he wasn't alone when he reached Suna's entrance, looking over into the raccoon-like eyes of Sunagakure's Kazekage. Gaara said nothing to Lee, the two having never really truly liked each other since the last time they'd been side by side. Lee only nodded and took off, Gaara not far behind. When the council finally realized Gaara was missing, the pair had already crossed the sands, only a day away from Taikyutsu. Lee hoped they'd make it in time, because he didn't want to rescue Neji as a corpse.

Taikyutsu loomed before them by dawn, Lee taking charge and guiding Gaara through the streets to the mansion he was supposed to meet Neji at. Like shadows, they were able to get inside and Lee claimed upstairs, leaving Gaara to explore downstairs. Gaara wasn't even sure why he had followed the Taijutsu master on this rescue mission. He didn't like either of them, really. But who could pass up a chance to rescue the stuck up Hyuuga brat? Gaara had to admit Neji was pretty, but that was where the admiration ended. Pretty things had a way of hurting their owners, and Gaara made a point of destroying things that hurt him. The only exception to the "pretty things must die" rule was his niece. Gaara shifted against the wall as a tapestry shifted aside, revealing a dull-eyed maid, carrying bloody towels, stepping from a concealed portal. Gaara's eyes narrowed and as soon as the maid disappeared, Gaara moved for that door. It opened to a descending staircase, down into green-lit darkness. Gaara followed the staircase down, sandaled feet hitting concrete as silently as a stalking lion, coming closer to the back of a man he didn't recognize.

The man's gloved hands were covered in blood and soon Gaara could see why. Neji hung, like a gutted fish, from a hook near the center of the room. His pale skin was black and red, glistening with sweat and tears from what Gaara could see. Blood streamed freely from Neji's forehead down his face, making him seem as though he had risen from the dead, a vengeful spirit. But Gaara knew better. Still, the scene disturbed him and he came closer, watching the man before Neji pick up a pristine white towel and scrape away the blood and blackness on Neji's skin, leaving it only stained and pale. Neji's eyes were closed, as though he was unconscious, but the slight flutter of his eyelids proved he wasn't. Another clean towel was drawn over Neji's face, before those bloody, gloved hands grabbed Neji's chin, forcing the young man's eyes open.

Gaara became aware of a frustrated scream and realized it was coming from Neji's captor. The man was beating Neji, for what Gaara didn't know, but Neji only coughed up blood when he was left alone, his captor whirling away, muttering to himself. Before he left the basement, the man grabbed Neji by his hair and jerked his head back, tongue touching the shell of Neji's ear. Gaara bit back the snarl of disgust that this bastard thought he could take advantage of Neji, helpless as he was. When the bastard finally did leave, Gaara slipped up to Neji and held his arms up to him as he commanded his sand to untie him. Neji fell into his arms like a lifeless doll, what strength he had left leaving him as he clutched onto Gaara's shoulders before he fell unconscious.

Shaking his head, Gaara lifted Neji into his arms and carried him from that horrible dungeon, escaping the mansion and making sure Neji would be safe as he went to retrieve Lee. Somehow, he convinced the Taijutsu master to make the trip back to Konoha to retrieve a healer while he took Neji to Suna. As he gazed down on the bloody and broken jounin in his arms, Gaara could only wonder what hell was going to come of this.


	3. Chapter 3

III.

Neji woke in a soft bed. At first, he was grateful, because being in a bed let his arms and ribs heal better. But then he panicked, knowing that if he was in a bed then Hitatsu had gotten what he wanted. He sat upright and touched his eye-sockets, wincing as his fingers poked the orbs within. His eyes were still there, still intact. He let out a relieved sigh and gingerly flopped back down, closing his eyes against the darkness. The sun did feel good on his hand – his eyes flew open. Darkness. But he could feel the sun. Maybe the curtains were closed? He was panicking, but he didn't care. The blankets were forced off his body, his legs swung over the side of the bed, bare feet touching gritty sand on linoleum. He forgot about the sand, forgot about anything but trying to find a curtain to pull away.

A strong hand wrapped around his searching fingers, sliding to his wrist, holding tight. Neji stilled before he exploded into action, free hand curling into a fist and swinging toward where his captor's face must be. His fist was caught and still he struggled, panic overwhelming, until he was pulled into a hug. The scent that filled his nostrils was nice, a scent he'd smelled before. Sand, the metallic scent of blood, the scent of the wind all rolled into one warm body that held his so gently. Neji clutched onto that safe person and cried.

Gaara could only hold onto Neji, hearing and feeling the sobs that wracked Neji's body, his gaze softening as he looked down at Neji's head. He stroked the Hyuuga's dark hair, clean now, along with the rest of his body. Lee had returned with Sakura and Kankurou, who had volunteered himself to wash the blood and ink off Neji's body before Sakura had done her best to heal the Hyuuga. When Hinata had arrived to retrieve her cousin, Kankurou had convinced her to return to Konoha and had gone with her, leaving Sakura and Lee behind in Suna with Neji.

How brave Hinata had been, Gaara surmised, when she received the news from Sakura. Neji's curse seal had been removed, how no one really knew except the man who had done this to him. But that forced removal had caused severe, irreversible optical damage.

In plain words, Neji was blind.

Gaara felt Neji relax and shifted to lay him back on the bed. As he drew away, Neji latched onto his sleeve.

"Don't go," Neji whispered. Saying nothing, Gaara sat beside the brunette and held his hand. Neji didn't need to be alone right now, didn't deserve to be alone. So Gaara stayed with Neji until the brunette fell asleep, rising from the bed and moving from the room to allow Lee and Sakura to go into the room. He watched the pair through the window for a long while. Neji, though, eventually called his gaze again and Gaara forced himself to look away, to walk away, before he let his heart get the better of him.

Neji woke to voices he recognized, his eyes open but seeing nothing but darkness. The voices hushed when the speakers noticed he was awake and soon he felt someone beside him. He reached out to touch that person's hand, feeling soft skin beneath his fingers. A woman then, but not Hinata. Who else could it be then?

"Neji? How are you feeling?"

Sakura, then. He recognized that voice. So that meant the other voice was Lee.

"Neji?" Sakura prompted.

Neji turned his sightless eyes to the girl he couldn't see and stared at her. He couldn't get his throat to work, to make a sound, anything. So he only shook his head and looked away. What good was he now, blind as a bat and more so because he didn't have echolocation to help him? He swallowed the tears that threatened to come out, not wanting to show weakness in front of Sakura and Lee. He'd already done that, and on the shoulder of a stranger no less.

"It'll be okay, Neji," Sakura said after a moment of silence. "We're going to take you back to Konoha and we'll find a way to heal you,"

"You'll be back to your old self in no time!" Lee said with more feeling than he actually felt himself. Neji didn't know how to react to Lee's enthusiasm, wanting to scream at him that he would never be normal again. Still, he could only nod, unable to get any words out. Sakura was watching him, he felt that, before she shifted and rose from the bed, touching his shoulder.

"Get some rest, Neji. Lee and I will get everything ready, and we'll go home soon." Sakura whispered to him before she and Lee left him. When they were gone, Neji let the tears well and fall. He sobbed quietly, wishing for the presence of that stranger from before. Still, he soon quieted, rubbing his eyes and shifting to sit where the sun was, warming under the rays. It was hours before Lee came to get him, handling him as gently as a china doll. Neji didn't complain; he couldn't, his voice still not working. The three Konoha nin were soon on their way, traveling slow for Neji's sake. The only one who didn't want to see them go was the Kazekage, watching the three leave without a sound.

Gaara figured, though, he'd be seeing much of Konoha in the future.


	4. Chapter 4

IV

Hinata was at a loss. In the weeks Neji had returned home from Suna, he had remained in his room or wherever he was led to, silent. He had said nothing of his time spent missing, even though Lee returned with a full account of his own and a written one from the Kazekage. Hiashi remained stoic, but Hinata knew her father was hurting, having sent Neji to that place, to that danger, and had nearly lost him. It wasn't so much that the curse seal had been removed or Neji's blindness that was causing Hiashi pain, but the fact that Neji had been so battered he now refused to speak to anyone. Hinata wanted to comfort her cousin, wanted to tell him everything would be okay, that the Hokage-sama and Sakura-chan and Shizune-san were working to find a way to reverse his predicament. Hinata watched Neji now, sitting in the sunlight with his eyes closed, no doubt knowing she was there. Hinata swallowed and stepped out onto the porch, sliding closed the rice-paper door behind her.

"Neji-nii-san?" Hinata asked, announcing herself as much as asking if it would be okay for her to join him. Neji only tilted his head in answer and Hinata settled down beside him. They shared silence for a while, Neji always blankly staring and Hinata wondering what she could do to ease her cousin's pain. It was no secret that Neji's condition made him less likely to inherit the Hyuuga household now, but that same revelation caused most of the family – and Hinata herself was guilty of this – treating Neji like an invalid. All Hinata wanted to do was help Neji, but it seemed no matter what she or anyone else did made his predicament any easier.

"So," Hinata ventured quietly, "what would you like to do today?"

Neji's head canted as if he were seriously considering the question. Hinata knew he wasn't allowed out of the compound – Hiashi's orders – but there were plenty of things they could do inside. Hinata prayed Neji only spoke of not knowing or staying right here. Instead her hopes were dashed.

"I want to go into the village," Neji said softly. Hinata winced. "I take it Hiashi-san has forbidden me,"

Hinata swallowed. "He doesn't want you hurt."

"Rather, he doesn't want me where he can't watch me."

"Neji," Hinata said helplessly, "he just wants to protect you."

"How is keeping me inside helping me?" Neji asked. "I'm blind not hopelessly ill."

"We know! He just doesn't think you're ready."

"And when will I be!? My sight isn't coming back. The therapy is only for show. I'm a shinobi, Hinata. I can't stay like this."

"You'll stay right here!" Hinata finally shouted. "Father doesn't want you leaving and so you can't!"

She stomped away, leaving Neji feeling confused and a little hurt. Out of all the clan members, Neji thought Hinata would've been the most understanding. After all, with her plight not quite so different from his own, he would've thought she'd be on his side, at least a little bit. He rose from his seat and carefully made his way off the porch and onto the yard, moving carefully to where he remembered the wall being. Before he lost his sight, he used to jump over this every morning he could get away with, just to prove to himself he could leave whenever he wanted. Now he was caged again, unable to fly. He was, essentially, useless.

There was a scrape above him, sandals on the ceramic tiles. "Hey, Neji,"

Neji blinked. "Naruto?"

"Yep. Came to see how you were doing. They wouldn't let me in the front so I thought I'd sneak in."

Neji felt the blonde shinobi land beside him, straightening. "They don't want anyone seeing me."

"I know how that is," Naruto replied, a grin in his voice. "So, you ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"Into the village."

Neji frowned at the skepticism in Naruto's voice. "Oh, come on." Naruto groused. "You're blind, not maimed. Come on."

Neji shook his head and allowed Naruto to take his hand. "Remember how to jump?"

"Yes I remember how to jump." Neji hissed.

"Don't gotta get pissy about it." Naruto replied, smiling. "On three."

Knowing Naruto as he did, Neji expected him to skip over one and two, but was pleasantly surprised when Naruto's movements clued him in to the blonde's actions. The sensation of bounding into the air, being weightless if only for a split second, is scary enough with sight. It's twice as scary with no sight, but Neji held onto Naruto's hand and trusted the blonde to keep him safe. Amazingly, Naruto did more than that; he helped Neji figure out the distance between the ground and the wall on both sides, where to land so he wouldn't fall over, and how to keep his exact balance. When they landed on the packed dirt street below, Neji felt like he was glowing. He heard Naruto laugh.

"Stop looking like that. People are going to think weird things."

Neji's blank eyes flicked to Naruto. Normally, when Neji locked straight at people, they flinched or tensed. Naruto did neither, relaxed and composed as ever.

"Why are you doing this?" Neji finally asked.

He felt Naruto shrug. "Because I feel like it. I made jounin a month ago, so I can claim insanity as an excuse. What are they gonna do, demote me?"

"They could." Neji said quietly. Naruto snorted.

"And subject themselves once again to the wonderfulness that is me? I think not." Naruto tugged Neji along, placing the Hyuuga's hand on his shoulder. "The Council is old, not senile."

Neji finally had to agree. Naruto as a chuunin had been bad enough. At least as a jounin they could give him missions that would take him out of the village for a month or two.

"You won't get in trouble for this?"

"I might. Might even get Kakashi as my tail. But it'll be worth it."

"I didn't know you cared so much."

"Yeah, well. You're a dick, Neji, blind or not. You'll always be a dick. But you're my friend."

Neji stopped short and felt Naruto turn to face him. "You're… brutally honest aren't you?"

"Hasn't killed me yet." Naruto replied, grinning. Neji shook his head with a slight smile.

"You're an idiot, Uzumaki." Neji whispered, finally. "But you're my friend too."

Naruto grinned even though Neji couldn't see it. The blonde shrugged his shoulder to let Neji know they were moving and let out a bright laugh.

"Let's go explore Konohagakure!" the blonde jounin announced proudly, echoed only by a soft laugh from his companion. Who said mirth and laughter weren't infectious?


	5. Chapter 5

V

So, they had gotten caught after all, but only after Naruto brought Neji back to the Hyuuga compound. Naruto had taught Neji so much in those short hours they wandered around, letting Neji learn to use his other sense now that his eyes had stopped functioning. Touch was always an adventure, but Neji had learned that different textures always told a story; scent was another big one, and Neji was beginning to learn how to differentiate the scent of a person to the scent of food and animals; sound, which Neji learned was more difficult to pick apart and place with a single life form; and pressure. Naruto had taught him that little trick first today, and how to use it in an open area more so than a confined room, but that didn't stop Neji from trying and practicing.

He would never heal – he knew that. It was an unyielding truth, but here he had a chance to adapt. He'd never be as he once was, but maybe greater. Naruto hadn't let him believe otherwise and now Neji didn't want to believe otherwise. He would practice honing his other senses, if only to kick Naruto's ass later.

Neji snorted. Trust fall my ass, the young Hyuuga thought. He cocked his head and listened, hearing the gentle heartbeat of Hinata approaching. He judged her distance to the door and debated about making a break for it. He wouldn't get far, he finally decided, and since Naruto was stuck on jungle gym duty for the next month, there really was no point. Neji just couldn't navigate on his own very well yet. The door slid open and Neji listened to Hinata shuffle across the floor and set something down. A tray. Food, then. His guess was answered when the pungent smell of teriyaki wafted at the nose. A bitter part of his mind wondered if this was his last meal before the execution, but Hiashi had already blamed Naruto for Neji's disobedience.

"Please eat, Neji-nii-san. You'll need your strength."

Neji sighed. "Hinata-sama, I appreciate your concern, but I'm not an invalid."

"We know," Hinata said with a bit of vehemence. "But you aren't giving us a chance to help you."

"You're treating me like a terminal patient. At least Naruto has the guts to defy Hiashi-sama and treat me like a person."

"Naruto was out of line!" Hinata said. "He shouldn't have been here."

"I wouldn't think you would have approved." Neji whispered. The pressure of the room changed slightly. Was Hinata embarrassed or upset?

"Eat," she finally said curtly. He listened to her rise and leave, waiting a moment before he followed the scent to the food, found his chopsticks, and began to eat. Taste, he decided, he would have to work on by himself.

Hinata was a flurry of motion as she took her anger and frustration out on a practice dummy. It never ceased to amaze the young woman how much she had changed over the years, from her attitude to her demeanor to the love of her life. She loved Neji like a brother, and she wanted to help him, she really did, but Hiashi forbade her from doing so. And it wasn't because Neji was blind, she understood, but because Hiashi was afraid of losing him again. If she told Neji this he'd be torn between obeying and being free, so she kept her mouth shut. However, in doing so, she knew she was tearing herself up inside. She gave a hard punch to the training dummy and gasped as it blew apart with the force of her chakra.

There was a whistle from behind her, and Hinata flushed scarlet when she turned to see Naruto and Ino behind her. Almost, for a moment, jealousy coursed through her, but she knew Ino was just in the same squad as Naruto. Besides, Ino loved –her– not –him–. Hinata saw Naruto flinch a bit and suddenly wondered if she shouldn't have told Hiashi about Naruto's involvement with Neji's escape.

"Hey, Hinata," Ino said, pulling Naruto along with her. The male gave her a quick salute.

"Hey, Ino was looking for you. And hey, look, we found you. Gotta go, bye!"

And Naruto was gone in a puff of smoke and burning ozone.

Ino frowned. "He's getting better at that."

"I think it's my fault." Hinata said softly. "I got him in trouble with my family."

"You're cheating on me?"

Hinata flushed scarlet, her eyes watering. "What!? –NO–! How could you think that!?"

Ino grabbed onto Hinata and hugged her tight. "Easy. I was joking."

"Some joke." Hinata whispered with a sniffle. Ino sighed and pressed her lips to the brunette's hair.

"I'm sorry." Ino said finally. "I'll make it up to you somehow, okay?"

Hinata nodded and gave a soft sigh. "I think it's the whole situation with Neji that's driving me crazy. Naruto tried to help him and he got in trouble."

"I have to agree with Naruto on this one, Hinata," Ino said after a moment. "I know your dad's upset about what happened, but babying Neji isn't going to make him better."

"I know that! But he doesn't believe that. I want Neji to be happy and I can't think of a way to do that."

Ino frowned and tilted her head in thought, finally sighing. "Maybe Naruto will have an idea."

Hinata frowned but nodded. Naruto did have good ideas, as hair-brained as most were sometimes. After all, he managed somehow to stay alive after every idiotic move he made, so maybe he would have an idea as to heal Neji's spirit. It worked when he'd snuck onto the Hyuuga grounds to kidnap Neji, so maybe it would work now. The thing every ninja feared was being predictable. The only exception seemed to be Naruto, who probably didn't care either way. He was Kyuubi's vessel after all. Couldn't get more conspicuous even if he tied a bulls' eye to his back. So they found him at Ichiraku, downing yet another bowl of ramen. Ino sat down on Naruto's left, Hinata his right, and the only response the women received was a loud slurp.

"Graceful," Ino muttered.

"Not my etiquette keeping me alive," Naruto replied after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. "What would the ladies like?"

"We need your help." Hinata replied. "With Neji."

"As I recall, I'm banned from anything having to do with Neji."

"Don't be an asshole, Naruto." Ino groused. "We just need your opinion on how to make Neji better."

Naruto glanced at Ino, then to Hinata. Finally he shrugged.

"My honest opinion," Naruto began, "is that Neji will never heal if he's kept in the Hyuuga household. He'll be treated as an invalid 'til the day he dies. So take him out of there."

"And put him where?" Hinata asked. "He can't wander around by himself and my father will never agree for a single guard."

"That's easy. Gaara owes a few favours to us."

"You want him to go to Suna?"

Naruto shrugged. "He'll be pushed there. He'll be forced to use what's left of his senses to survive. Besides, I'm sure Momogi wouldn't mind seeing Gaara and Temari."

Ino looked to Hinata who shrugged. Naruto finished his ramen, pulled out a few bills and set them on the counter before he smiled at the women.

"Make it a family trip to Suna, and invite Neji to go along. It's not rocket science. See ya."

He left the pair then, humming. Man, if Gaara found out what Naruto was trying to do, he'd never be found. After all, the desert is a very big place.


	6. Chapter 6

VI

"Tell me again why I'm going to Suna?" Neji asked as he balanced the unseen Momogi on his hip, listening to Shikamaru and Kankurou clean up their campsite.

"Because Hinata figured you'd enjoy a vacation." Kankurou replied. "It hasn't been easy for you, so she talked her dad into letting you come alone."

"Yeah!" Momogi cried, giggling as she tugged on Neji's hair. "Neji-nii!"

Neji adjusted the toddler and sighed. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. If he could get past the sun that never seemed to go down, the sand that got everywhere, and the fact he couldn't see a fucking thing, maybe it would actually be fun. Yeah. Right. He felt rather than heard Shikamaru approaching him and got a nice shriek in the ear as Momogi fought being forced to walk. She finally settled when she was told she could lead Neji along, and Neji didn't doubt for a second Momogi was grinned as she clutched to his hand. Neji had his reserves though, even as he walked over the shifting sands with Momogi. His other sense had begun to develop at an almost astounding rate. He felt move movements, the fluidity of the motion, and heard more than many would be comfortable knowing he could hear. His sense of smell and taste had also developed so in one breath he could determine where he was. He'd also begun to practice with his chakra, using that to reach out and "se". It was more difficult than it sounded, and Neji did all he could to practice it. He couldn't really explain the functionality, but it allowed him to feel all the different lives nearby.

"Neji-nii," Momogi called. "Water."

A canteen was pressed into his hands. "Thank you, Momogi."

The little girl grinned, unable to comprehend the fact Neji couldn't see her. To this little miracle child, though, the fact that Neji couldn't see her didn't bother her as it did other children, mostly the Hyuuga brats of the other branches. To them, Neji was like a nightmare now, and being reminded about that didn't quite make him feel all that much better. He took a few sips before he handed the canteen back to the girl and felt her take a few sips of her own. Then she began to sing a child's rhyme she'd learned in school, grinning as she swung their joined hands back and forth. Her happiness seemed to be infecting Neji, too, and so he decided to look upon his stay in Suna as sort of a blessing. At least he wouldn't be alone. Right?

Neji heaved a quiet sigh if only to avoid a barrage of questions from Momogi. It wasn't being alone he was worried about; it was where he was going. Suna had a nasty reputation of devouring the weak and the current Kazekage wasn't a man to tempt. Neji knew that Gaara wouldn't hesitate to kill him if given the chance, threat or not. It's just how he was, Neji knew. When Momogi's steps changed form hopping to even, Neji knew they were entering the cliffs around Sunagakure. The terrain slowly changed beneath his feet and he adjusted his step, slowly spreading out his senses to make sure he wasn't caught unaware. Noise began to filter in, murmurs that slowly became distinct voices; scents of food, animals, people; pulsing vibrations of chakra both fro every day use and jutsu. Momogi tugged on Neji's hand and pulled him along, now clutching to her mother's hand so she wouldn't get lost. No one paid the group any mind, though Neji was certain Suna shinobi were watching their every move.

They drifted away from the noise then to a quieter part of the village, where the tumult of voices was just a gentle whisper. He heard Kankurou's rumble as he grunted, felt the movement of two bodies moving aside and then he was being guided up a flight of stairs, each foot carefully placed as they ascended. A key slid into a lock and tumbles sang a rusty song before the door swung open.

"Well, here we are. Home sweet home," Kankurou said. Neji only cocked his head and listened to the movements of the room. It echoed with Momogi's running footsteps, so Neji assumed it was only the foyer. He moved forward and put a hand out to help guide him along. He heard Kankurou and Shikamaru talking, but ignored them in favour of exploring his new environment.

Everything smelled of sun and sand even though he couldn't feel any sand beneath his feet or on his fingers. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, but it wasn't something he was used to. Neji felt furniture, doors to other rooms, and paused in the hall when he felt something dangerous enter the apartment. Neji's first instinct was to determine what the threat was and then eliminate it. He forced himself to calm down, because if what had entered truly was dangerous, Shikamaru and Kankurou would've taken care of it. A new voice entered Neji's perceptions and it took a moment for him to realize the dangerous presence was Sabaku no Gaara himself. A child's cry of joy was what confirmed his suspicions, so Neji slowly made his way back to the trio of adults. Momogi was giggling, talking rapidly of what she'd told Neji, more or less, and the atmosphere seemed welcoming Neji took one confident step and slammed his hip into a side table. Something decidedly ceramic or porcelain wobbled, toppled, and plummeted to shatter on the floor.

Neji felt rather than heard the sighs and fought back the wince that wanted to reveal itself. He felt Gaara's eyes on him and that was bad enough without a gesture of pit. He stepped back – carefully and slowly – to where he was safe. Neji shivered and soon found himself being let do his bedroom by Momogi who was telling him it was only an accident and she had accidents all the time at school. Neji could only hand his head to his the blush of shame and fight to hold onto the hope that maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

One blunder didn't spell disaster all the time, did it?


	7. Chapter 7

VII

Gaara rubbed his temples and swiveled his chair back and forth in a lazy half circle using only his toes. Kankurou sat across from him, watching and waiting. Gaara couldn't understand why so much shit fell to him and blamed Shukaku, even though the stupid biju wasn't with him anymore. Kankurou had explained to him predicament. He, Shikamaru, and Momogi would be returning to Konoha at the end of the week, and Neji would remain behind. Gaara was to help Neji become what he once was by training his other senses, and if anything else happened, well, Gaara knew whom to blame. He amused himself for a moment with the thought of filling Naruto's pants with ant lions before he heard Kankurou clear his throat.

"I don't know if I can do this," Gaara said finally. "He's unusually stubborn."

"So are you" Kankurou replied. "Wear him down. He'll break long before you will."

"He's a Hyuuga." Gaara said dryly. "he'll just –love– to match wits against me."

"Don't be such a baby. If things get rough, beat him. Or fuck him. I don't know."

Gaara frowned. The ant lions were sounding better and better now. He could beat the shit out of Neji. Handicaps never stopped him before, so it wouldn't now. As for the fucking, well, Gaara was all for personal gratifications, but Neji was such a prude he'd sooner die than submit to having a cock shoved up his ass. Though a pretty picture it made, indeed. Those emerald eyes flicked to his brother and saw those lips frowning. Finally, he sighed.

"All right. Okay. You win. I'll do it. I won't like it, but I'll do it."

"You're an angel, Gaara."

Gaara threw a file folder and Kankurou and settled forward to do his work, allowing a wicked grin when Kankurou realized what the folder was and let out a groan. Revenge was sweet and beautiful, especially when Kankurou was forced to update the Konoha genin rosters for Suna.

The breeze was caressing his skin even as the sun burned it. Neji stood alone on the roof of the apartment, practicing his chakra "sight". He never saw anything that resembled an actual image, only flashes of colour that made an imprint on his memory. With those memories he could make a mental map of location and more reel. The only drawback was that he needed to send out chakra of his own to illuminate the objects. It left him tired and weak and most of all with a frayed temper. He'd had to fight against impulse to snap at Momogi at dinner last night, annoyed by her inane chattering. Being alone, it gave him time to test his patience and work on making his chakra well deeper – or invent another way to "see". As it was, Neji was incapable of properly function as a ninja until he'd mastered those echolocation-type bursts.

His fingers curled around the hilt of the only kunai he was allowed to hold on his person. He was allowed the weapon solely for self-defense against a close range enemy, though the paranoid part of him believed that the kunai was meant to be fallen upon, by accident, of course. His knuckles were turning white as he listened to the unfamiliar approach and at the last second whirled, the kunai flying from his fingertips at the target. He felt a rush of wind, heard his kunai strike something and drop to the granite of the roof, and heard an exasperated sort of sigh right after.

"Living with you is going to be like a divine punishment." Gaara growled, watching those blank moonlight eyes narrow. Neji stalked forward, – surprisingly quick for being blind, Gaara mused – grabbed up his kunai in one fluid motion and poked the blade into Gaara's chest.

"Who said anything about living with you?"

Gaara blinked, grinned. "Oh? Don't you know? You're going to be staying in Suna for a while."

The look on Neji's face was priceless. "And I'm staying with you?"

"That's the idea."

"Forget it." Neji said, shoving the kunai harder into Gaara's chest. Gaara rolled his eyes, pointless as it was, and wrapped his fingers around the offending wrist of the Hyuuga. One sharp motion and Neji was suddenly spun, his kunai twisted behind him and stabbing into his own back. Neji hissed, tried to get free, but Gaara had him trapped against him, the redhead's breath hot on his neck.

"I really don't want to explain to Momogi why you're unable to walk," Gaara whispered, ignoring the blush that crept into Neji's pale cheeks. He ignored his own double entendre and pushed the kunai again into Neji's spine. "So it'd be in your best interest to cooperate."

"And if I don't?"

Gaara's silence explained everything. Neji finally relaxed, nodded and Gaara released him from the harsh grip, though he kept. Neji's kunai. Neji was sure he could try to get it back, but he'd probably end up wounded. He heard Gaara shift and begin to walk away. Unwilling to let Gaara think him cowed, Neji let go one powerful chakra blast, one that both illuminated the Kazekage for a perfectly clear image and knocked him off his feet. The Hyuuga stepped past Gaara, head held high and back straight. Gaara watched him go and grinned madly. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Not if he could get a fight that easily out of the Konoha jounin.


	8. Chapter 8

VIII

Neji knew he'd been tricked when he woke one morning and found himself alone in the house. Kankurou and Shikamaru must have skipped out around midnight- that was the only time Momogi was guaranteed to be dead asleep. So now Neji was stuck in Sunagakure, with Gaara, unable to tell which way was home. For however long, he was essentially a prisoner. When he found out who's bright idea this was, he was going to kill that person in a very horrible ways. He crawled out of bed and made for the bathroom for a shower. He took a cold one, if only because he knew the day was going to be horribly warm. Dry, Neji stood naked in his room, feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin already, and slowly move to dress in the clothes provided to him, more suited to Suna's environment. Ready, Neji felt his way from the bedroom, counting the steps to the kitchen He'd memorized where the food was placed and so sought out his meager breakfaster of an orange and water.

"That's not very healthy, you now."

On instinct, Neji chucked the orange at Gaara's head and backpedaled, putting distance between them. Gaara only tilted his head to the side to allow the citrus fruit to fly harmlessly by, letting out scathing laughter.

"You need practice, Neji. Or you'll be dead."

"One of us will," Neji ground out, tensing as he felt Gaara approaching him.

"Is that a threat?" Gaara whispered, so close to Neji now the Hyuuga could feel his breath.

Neji bared his teeth. "A promise."

Gaara laughed again and turned away, turned back and left the room, leaving Neji aloe. The brunette shivered and felt for another orange, managing to find one that wasn't too rotten. He sighed, deciding if he was going to live here for god knows how long, he might as well do some shopping.

"Don't bother," Gaara said upon his return. He moved over to Neji, grabbed his wrist and tugged to upset his balance, earning a gasp and retaliatory punch in his kidney for it. Gaara growled and shook his guest, frowning as he remembered Neji's handicap and the that the shake would probably disorient him. He finally shrugged and let go of the Hyuuga who gracelessly stumbled back into the counter and clung to it as a drowning man clings to floated debris.

"Why not?" Neji bit out, still reeling from the latest abuse.

Again the pointless gesture of eye rolling. "Because you aren't living –here– . This is Kankurou's place, not mine."

"So I can't remain where everything is familiar?"

"Well, when you put it that way, no." Gaara replied before his first short out to grab a handful of the brunette's long hair. "Our first order of business today is your hair."

Neji winced at the tugging and promptly kicked Gaara's chest. The redhead grunted and partially loosened his grip on the brunette's hair. That grip soon tightened and jerked, bringing Neji against Gaara and forcing his head back. Gaara was studying those blank eyes still glaring ineffectively, head tilting. He sighed softly.

"I can do it or Temari can do it. Either way, it's getting out."

"Don't I get a say in this!?" Neji shouted in a low growl, hands on Gaara's wrist to try and get him to let go. Even fingers in pressure points weren't working!

"Yeah," Gaara replied somewhat snidely, "you get to choose who cuts your hair."

"Bastard."

"Sticks and stones, Neji. Let's go." Without releasing his grip, Gaara pulled Neji from the kitchen by his hair, and dragged him out of the apartment. Neji thought he heard snickers and felt shame colour his cheeks. He thought getting away from his family would've been a good thing. Now he wasn't so sure. At least his clan wasn't abusive. He jerked his head from Gaara's grip and felt a clump of his hair rip form his scalp. Ignoring the pain, he stalked past Gaara and promptly tumbled down a set of stairs. Suddenly he was lifted, held close and tight and again he scented blood and wind and sand – that gentle presence from before – and so he clung. When the pair landed, that person helped him stand and checked him for injury. Neji recoiled when a bruise was brushed and got shushed at.

"Let me see," Gaara said in his Kazekage voice, watching Neji's face as his brain connected one memory with another. Still, Gaara took the opportunity to check Neji's wounds, satisfied when the brunette wasn't showing signs of a concussion.

Neji jerked away from him a little. "I cried in front of you,"

"You cried on me," Gaara corrected. "Look, it doesn't matter, okay? You needed it."

Gaara moved then and took Neji's hand, pulling him along, away from the apartment toward his office where Temari was waiting. Neji was silent through their trip, no doubt thinking of the implications of his earlier actions. Gaara just rolled his eyes for the third time and led Neji along. He didn't even bother to explain to Temari why Neji was so sullen and confirmed her suspicions of his bad mood when he promptly sat behind his desk and buried himself in his work. The blonde woman glared at her brother before she took Neji's hand and led him to the balcony.

"Sit here." She said, moving from the Hyuuga to get a sheet, wrapped that around him like a blanket. She picked up a brush and paid careful attention to that mass.

"Why does it have to be cut?" Neji asked quietly.

"Because it'll weigh you down, plus it's really hot." Temari replied. "Unless you want pigtails.

"Why not a bun?"

"You wanna deal with a bun every day? I can see it now. Neji Hyuuga blind and a woman."

"Fuck you," Neji said heatedly. Temari giggled as she picked up a comb and scissors.

"Good boy Neji. You'll survive after all."

Neji fought the trembling as he listened to the snip of scissors in his hair. He'd liked it long because his father's hand been that way, and so he had never changed it. He stared ahead into the black distance and decided maybe it was time to change now. After all, he had a new challenge to win now, and someone new to prove himself to. He closed his eyes and listened to Temari hum as she worked and trusted himself to her hands.


	9. Chapter 9

IX

Gaara watched his blood wash down the shower drain that evening with a mad grin on his face. Neji was improving – especially now since he didn't have to compensate for the weight of his hair – and had actually managed to perform one of his Palm attacks on the redhead. The chakra expenditure had knocked the Hyuuga out, so a bloody and bruised Gaara called it a day for training and picked up an equally bloody and bruised Neji to bring him home. He'd woken Neji up enough to wash himself and then set the Konoha jounin on the bed to sleep while he got his own shower.

In the weeks after Neji had gotten his hair cut – now to his shoulders, always done up in a messy, swept tail, though pieces escaped and brushed his cheeks – he and Gaara had gotten into many more fights. Sometimes Neji won; most times Gaara won, and neither could finish their day without actual or verbal sparring. The only courtesy they showed each other was a peaceful breakfast and once they were in bed that was it. Neji also followed Gaara around while the redhead was doing Kazekage-type things, and managed not to embarrass himself or Gaara. The Hyuuga also trained on his own, working on chakra control and his "sight". He was able to find his way around Suna without assistance, and more often that not ended up meditating on the balcony outside Gaara's office until the Kazekage called him out.

And they fought viciously, fighting to win, to kill, not ever pulling punches. At first, Gaara led Neji into repetitive fights, changing it up when Neji began to anticipate, until they were fighting without a script. Gaara was forcing Neji to use everything he had and soon, Neji was able to fight as he once had. Gaara shut off the water and watched it swirl for a moment. He was growing to like the Hyuuga in a much more personal way than he liked other people. He could get a rise out of the Hyuuga, goad him into fighting, and then he was allowed to touch after. Neji trusted him, Gaara realized slowly, as he moved to dry and pull on pants for decency's sake before he emerged into the bedroom and watched Neji sleep. No one had ever trusted him this much before, not even Naruto. Gaara moved slowly toward the brunette and gently brushed his fingertips against Neji's bare forehead. Neji shifted, rolled, and Gaara was left staring at his back. The redhead sighed and moved to his own bedroom, falling into sleep to rise early the next day, before the sun had even risen. He found Neji awake as well, sitting in the kitchen with his hands wrapped around a steaming mug of tea.

"Couldn't sleep?" Neji asked before Gaara could even move. Gaara gave a grunt and Neji only nodded. As Gaara moved about making his coffee – like he needed the caffeine – he realized he and Neji had reached a point in that they understood each other so well, neither needed words to express themselves to the other. Gaara took a few sips of his horrible black coffee, and turned to watch Neji nurse his tea. He set his mug down on the counter and lashed out at the Hyuuga, his strike dodged and he got a mug thrown at him. He dodged, ignoring the shattering ceramic and came up behind Neji. They Hyuuga whirled and his punches were caught in a vice grip, wrists gathered above his head. He was pushed against a wall, Gaara's body against him. He tried to knee Gaara, felt his wrists transferred to one hand and the other grab his offending leg, pulling it up to hook it over Gaara's hip, allowing the redhead closer.

Neji left out a gasp as he felt a hot mouth against his neck, hips grinding into his own, that hand on his leg sliding up to his thigh and gripping there. That mouth moved from his neck to his own, teeth sinking into his lip to gain entry into his mouth. A tongue slid in, toyed with his own and tasted him, bodies so closer together now Neji didn't know if he was still standing or Gaara was supporting him . It didn't matter, he finally decided, and bit Gaara's tongue, earning a purr and a bite in return as Gaara pulled back. They shared warmth, close together as they were, breath mingling as they panted.

"Stop thinking so hard," Gaara growled as he attacked Neji's neck again, earning shivers and gasps.

"What is this to you?" Neji gasped out as Gaara's mouth teased at a sensitive spot. Gaara paused, looking up at the Hyuuga even though the other couldn't see him.

"You are mine."

Neji couldn't hold back the mewl as Gaara bit him. He clung, feeling Gaara clutch back, feeling Gaara's mouth moving over his skin, bruising him in claim. Language was lost to Neji as Gaara began to grind his hips against Neji's, the only noise in the room their harsh breathing and little gasps. Gaara's hands slid up beneath Neji's shirt, fingertips ghosting over pale flesh, finding twin hardening nubs and tweaking them until Neji positively melted against him. Gaara never spoke, tugging at clothing to bare Neji to him, mouth set against pale skin to bruise, rocking his still-clothed hips against Neji's bare ones, his right hand sliding from Neji's legs, gripping and stroking. Neji shuddered and clutched to Gaara's shoulders, legs around Gaara's hips, held to the wall by the unseen redhead's strength alone. He felt Gaara shift, felt Gaara's hands disappear from his body to fiddle with something before they returned to his hips, gripping his thighs to spread them. Neji flinched when he felt sand tendrils wrap around his legs to replace Gaara's hands, heard a soft apology for the unfamiliar touch.

Then he felt pain blossoming at the base of his spine, felt something large and hot and hard pressing into his body. Muscles spasmed, his sphincter trying so hard to deny that foreign object entry. Gaara growled and shoved. Something within Neji tore and he felt Gaara slide into him so easily, his movement unrestricted as blood made it easier. The sand disappeared as Gaara gripped his hips, pulling Neji forward as he thrust into him. All Neji could do was clutch and pant and squeeze his eyes shut against the tears of pain, until Gaara shifted just once. Pain meted away to pleasure, synapses firing off endorphins in Neji's brain as Gaara slammed into him. Gaara was panting in his ear, and Neji could feel his body tightening around Gaara. He heard the redhead's breathing change sharply, felt his heartbeat pick up as they moved together.

Neji screamed.

He screamed as his body clamped down around Gaara's cock, protesting the last few thrusts Gaara gave. His scream faded as he felt hot liquid spurt into his body, coating and stinging torn flesh. He clung, body trembling as it slowly recovered, hissing as Gaara pulled out, still holding him up. Neji shivered as he felt liquid – blood and come he was sure – dripping from his body to the kitchen floor. Gaara nuzzled close and kissed Neji's ear gently.

"Can you walk?" Gaara asked.

Neji shook his head. "Can't move my legs."

There was a chuckle and Gaara shifted enough to carry Neji like a bride to bed. Once Neji was warm beneath the thin sheet, Gaara joined him, curling around him to protect him. Neji sighed and gave in to the dark sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

X

Neji and Gaara, after that night, were nearly inseparable. Neither really spoke to one another and they still fought viciously, but they were never really far way from the other. They fucked – because you really couldn't call it anything but, violent as it was – as often as Neji's body could handle the strain. There was no hate, no enmity; only understanding, want, and – though both were equally loathe to admit it – love. They didn't need words to prove their love; it was done in actions. A touch here, a smile there, maybe something special for dinner. And Gaara helped Neji improve his chakra-based echolocation to the point he only needed to send out a short burst and it would light up an entire mile from his position. Neji had also become unerringly accurate with projectiles, able to score a killing blow eight out of ten times. He and Gaara were still practicing that one. His improvements made him proud, because it proved he could handle himself fin a fight. It proved he could live as a shinobi. Neji felt at peace here in Suna, living with Gaara, and he never once wondered if Konoha wanted him back.

Unfortunately, word had a way of making it from confidence to the ears of those who should never hear it.

Neji was in Gaara's office when the first messenger came. It was easy enough to get him to leave, young and inexperienced as he was. All Gaara had to do was glare. The message was clear.

Neji was Gaara's. No one else could have him.

However, Konoha challenged that claim, time and time again. The fight for Neji lasted nearly a month before Tsunade herself wrote a missive and had it delivered via Sakura and Lee. That, Neji knew, Gaara could not argue with. They were given a week. In that week, Gaara made damn sure Neji couldn't walk without a limp. At the end of it, they clutched to one another and slept fitfully. Sakura was required more than once to separate them before their tempers frayed enough to fight.

The last day of Neji's stay in Suna, he woke to find himself alone. Neji rose, showered, and dressed. He ate breakfast – as little as it was – and went in search of his lover. He found Gaara in his office, halfway through the day's paperwork and it was only five in the morning.

"It's not like it's good-bye forever, you know." Neji said softly, closing the door behind him. Gaara grunted.

"Might as well be. I'll be doing Kazekage shit while you do what missions you can."

"I have vacation days built up from when I could see," Neji tried hopelessly. Gaara only looked at him; in the silence, Neji knew the redhead's eyes were skeptic.

"Your family will object." Gaara said finally, turning back to his paperwork.

"Screw my family," Neji said, moving forward to where he remembered the desk was. "My uncle has Hanabi to continue his line."

Gaara's eyebrow rose. He pushed away from the desk and felt Neji circle, appear before him and hug him. He wrapped his arms around the brunette and sighed.

"I don't want you to go," Gaara whispered helplessly.

"I know," Neji replied quietly, "But we'll never be apart. Not really."

Gaara grunted. He knew Neji was right and there would always be plenty of opportunities to be with the Hyuuga. The chuunin exams, for one. Gaara froze a moment later after feeling the brunette's lips against his ear, moving softly against the shell.

"What did you say?" Gaara asked slowly, carefully. He heard Neji swallow and watched him shift his weight from one foot to the other.

"I said 'I love you',"

"Mean it?"

"Would I have said it otherwise?"

Gaara shifted, and pulled Neji down for a kiss, far gentler than the ones given before. Neji melted against him, showing Gaara in more ways than words how much he loved him. Willingly, Neji dripped to his knees and worked to open Gaara's pants, drawing him out and tentatively touch his tongue to the head. Almost instantly, the redhead was hard and aching for the Hyuuga. Gaara groaned as Neji enveloped his cock in wet heat, head falling back as a velvety tongue slid over the vein. It had taken Gaara weeks to coerce Neji into giving him head, so for Neji to do it now, willingly, it was just about the hottest thing Gaara had ever seen. The Kazekage relaxed and let Neji suck on him, rewarding him with a tug and reprimanding with a snarl, instructing Neji on how to pleasure him. Before Gaara could come in that wonderful mouth – and he greatly wanted to – he pulled Neji's head back and lifted his lithe lover onto the desk, carefully avoiding stacks of folders. He wasted no time in divesting Neji of his clothes.

"Gaara." Neji whispered.

"Shush," Gaara said as he knelt between Neji's spread legs. "I know. I'll be quick."

He cut off Neji's coming protest as he pushed his tongue inside Neji's passage, a move he had never done before. So Neji shut up and writhed on that slick muscle, fist at his mouth to silence his noises from those who waited outside. Gaara pushed deep with his tongue, wetting dry inner walls and tasting Neji as he'd never tasted him before. Blood and salt and something viscous but not entirely unpleasant; all these tastes made up Neji. He drew back and gave the brunette a tilt of the head in apology before he pushed in, once again stretching Neji beyond what he could take. Neji only winced and gasped, pain quickly fading to pleasure as Gaara began to move, slamming into him with enough force to rock the desk off its legs a few good inches. This was lovemaking, Gaara decided, thrusting slowly into his lover and watching the Hyuuga writhe beneath him. Time, though was against them, and so Gaara picked his pace up and drove Neji to completion. Sticky from come, the two parted, cleaning up as best they could. Gaara helped Neji dress and gave him a warm kiss.

"I love you too," Gaara finally choked out. Neji smiled and kissed him back, before he made for the door, disappearing out the portal with only the slightest – and pointless – glance back. Gaara watched him go and looked down at his clenched fists. Slowly, he relaxed and sat back down behind his desk. Paperwork before play, he decided. Temari would probably enjoy some company today. Gaara would get a fight out of her almost as easily Neji. It wouldn't be the same, but he had to wait for the day he could be with Neji again. Besides, if he didn't seek her out, Temari would tease him for pouting. He didn't want his bitch of sister to gain that wild card of power over him. Bad enough she knew about him and Neji. Her silence on that had been bought with a two week paid vacation to the hot springs but it would've been much easier to just kill her, Gaara decided.

With thoughts of murder on his brain, he smiled and got down to business.


	11. Chapter 11

XI

For a while after returning to Konoha, Neji was a little sullen. Still, his depressed mood disappeared when he and Naruto somehow landed an escort mission together, and he opened up a bit more to the blonde about his stay than he had anyone else. He could imagine Naruto nodding sagely about Neji's description of Gaara.

"Yeah, that's about right," Naruto would say.

Neji was often called for babysitting duty for Momogi, Asumako and Asagi when Kurenai needed a night out and Shikamaru was tired of dealing with her daughter. Neji felt he knew more about babies and children than their actual parents sometimes and was seen as a god by mothers around Konoha's shinobi community when he got a group of ankle-biters to actually nap. Neji never told them he ran them ragged with games of tag and hide and seek and – Neji's personal favourite – manhunt.

Three weeks into his return, Neji began to wake feeling ill and the sickness would often last well to midday. He figured he'd caught a cold form the kids he watched and began to drink and eat healthier foods than what was normally offered to him. Vitamins and an occasional dose of cold medicine seemed to do the trick for a while too. The sickness passed, but a week later, Neji was finally throwing up. He kept it quiet but sought out a confidential source he could trust in the medical field. Sakura told him he had a cold and gave him a prescription. The medicine seemed to do the trick, but the sickness changed to odd cravings and Neji felt like a thief, sneaking around just so he could have chocolate covered tomatoes.

Two months later a miracle happened.

Neji was used to sleeping with his eyes closed. It didn't really matter since his world was dark now anyway, but it was preference. He would wake early, but remain in bed to orient himself before he began the day. Today was no different, but he had promised Hinata he would go with her to find an anniversary present for Ino, and had instructed the kunoichi to wake him and help him get ready. He heard his bedroom door slide open, then close, and Hinata's quiet steps as approached him. Her movements were deliberately slow, so Neji was expecting her hand on his shoulder. He rolled, blinked his eyes open and saw Hinata's moonlight eyes staring back at him.

He blinked, but her image didn't change or waver. Her expression changed from a gentle smile to frown when Neji kept blinking.

"Neji-nii-sama?" Hinata questioned.

"I… I can see you."

How wide her eyes went then and Hinata dropped to her knees before him, looking surprised as Neji pushed himself up. He rubbed his eyes but the colours, the images, wouldn't fade.

"H-how?" Hinata quietly asked, startled to say the least.

"I don't know." Neji replied, rising from his bed to move around, testing his sight. Hinata blushed and quickly excused herself from her cousin's room, allowing him to dress. He wasn't blind. What sort of miracle was this? He'd just gotten used to his new dark world and now his sight was back. He dressed quickly and found Hinata waiting for him, hands clasped together before her. Hiashi stood behind her, his face one of surprise and relief when Neji looked right at him and actually saw him.

For some reason, that alone upset Neji, for he knew not if his regained sight was permanent or not. He gave Hiashi a respectful bow and moved down the hall with Hinata out into the village. They spent a good deal of time looking through stores until Hinata found the perfect gift for Ino and then two jounin headed toward a restaurant for lunch. They were soon joined by Naruto and Ino, the latter always trying to peek into the bag Hinata carried. Ino was the first to discover Neji could see again. After that, it spread all over Konoha like a wildfire and all sorts of questions and people looking for answers assaulted Neji. Neji noticed Naruto's crystalline blue eyes sharpen considerably when they rested on him and soon Naruto was getting up and pulling Neji along with him, leaving the restaurant and bounding for a place they would get some quiet.

Hiding on the busts of the Hokages, Naruto finally turned to Neji, eyes tinting orange.

"How long have you been sick?" The blonde jounin questioned.

Neji frowned. "A couple weeks out of a month, why?"

"How long has it been?"

"What?"

"Since you you've been sick."

"Two." Neji groaned. "Where are you going with this?"

Naruto gave a cry of anguish – or annoyance, probably both – and gripped his head in his hands.

"Why is everybody getting pregnant!? It's like everyone I know! And all of them are male! I'm the one with Kyuubi, I'm the weirdo of Konoha! STOP STEALNG MY TITLE!"

Neji blinked slowly. "I'm not pregnant."

"You tell that to Kyuubi. He can smell it." Naruto replied with a low growl. "Something got fucked up in you the same way it got fucked up in Shikamaru."

Neji stared at the blonde for a long time, silences stretching between them. "You're positive."

"As the sky is blue." Naruto replied.

Neji sighed and looked down at his flat stomach. "Damn."


	12. Chapter 12

XII

Naruto returned Neji to the Hyuuga compound later that evening. They'd discussed the implications of Neji's pregnancy on Konoha and Suna. It the conversation, Neji realized Naruto was much smarter than many gave him credit for and decided when Naruto finally became Hokage, he would support him. Naruto thought more about Neji and the fetus than he did anything else, working to make sure it was Neji who told when he felt it necessary. He acted a silent bodyguard, too, blue eye tinted with orange to warn off anyone he didn't deem worthy.

In the end, Neji told Hinata.

She'd told Hiashi.

Hiashi demanded an abortion. Until he was faced with a very moody Naruto who, point blank, told him the child was the seed of one Sabaku no Gaara.

It took Hiashi a moment to realize Sabaku no Gaara was the Kazekage of Sunagakure.

When it was settled, Neji decided he'd move in with Naruto for a while. That had hurt Hinata, but she understood. Neji had trusted her with a secret and she, in his best interests, had shared that secret. So Neji got to sleep in Naruto's bedroom while the blonde crashed on the couch, and he got way too much help from the female shinobi of Konoha to be comfortable as his body accommodated the growling child within him. Apparently, male pregnancy became normal after Shikamaru. Neji still acted his scathing self toward others to prove nothing was wrong with him, but he would be defensive when Naruto told him to contact Gaara about this. It always resulted in an argument. As Neji's stomach grew rounder, Naruto became more insistent until Neji finally exploded.

"It'll ruin him!" he finally screamed. Naruto only stared at him.

"He's fucking Gaara of Sunagakure and he says a baby by a man will ruin him," Naruto said almost snidely of Neji. "I liked you better before I kicked your ass."

Neji's eyes welled with tears, blurring the image of the blonde. Naruto gave an exasperated sigh.

"Gaara deserves to know. He'll find out one way or another and it'd be best if it came from you."

"He doesn't need to know." Neji replied defensively.

Naruto exploded. "Yes he does! You're carrying his child, Neji, his –baby–! You love him! You could have a family, be free! Pull your head out of your ass, Hyuuga!"

"What if he doesn't want it!? What if he doesn't want us!?"

"Bullshit! You know he wants you! He'll want your child too, because it's –his–! That's how Gaara works."

"It'll ruin him,"

"Then let it. He would." Naruto sighed. Neji sniffled, rubbed his eyes. "Think about it Neji. I know it's hard and it's scary, especially while your emotions are being fucked with. Your baby needs his father."

Somehow, Neji found the couch and sat down, burying his head in his hands. He felt Naruto's hand on his shoulder and cried. Naruto let him cry, let him work it out, and was still there when the brunette calmed enough for rational thought.

"What do I say?"

"The truth. In as little words as possible."

"I'm having your baby. Come to Konoha ASAP." Neji said sarcastically. Naruto nodded sagely.

"Sounds about right."

Neji sighed heavily and leaned back on the couch, rubbing his eyes. This was going to be a long and tortuous process. How would Gaara be Kazekage in Suna while his family was in Konoha? Would Neji go to live in Suna? Would Gaara even want the responsibility?

"Look, go sleep on it," Naruto finally whispered. "We'll write the letter when you wake up and I'll go get Shizune to send it."  
"Will it even work?"

"Don't know until you try." Naruto said. "Just go nap and I'll get some tomatoes, all right?"

"Bribery always works for you."

"Gotta practice somehow."

Naruto left Neji then, to let the brunette man sleep on the couch. It was a rather fitful sleep, but somehow, Neji managed. When he woke, a bowl of chocolate covered tomatoes waited for him, along with a pen and a slip of paper. Naruto was conspicuously absent. Heaving a sigh and picking up a slice of tomato, Neji began to write.


	13. Chapter 13

XIII

Temari was having a good day. She'd gotten a warm shower that morning and the little sandwich shop had had her favourite breakfast bagel. She'd gotten free coffee when she stepped into the missions' office and had gotten an easy mission. She whistled gaily as she strode up the stairs with Gaara's lunch, smiling as she opened the door.

Then her good day quickly became a bad one.

She was smacked in the face with the Kazekage's robe as Gaara finished adjusting the Hyoutan to his back.

"Where the fuck are you going?" Temari asked.

"Konoha."

"You can't just arbitrarily go to Konoha!" Temari shrieked. "You're the Kazekage."

"I resigned."

"You can't just–" Her protest was cut off with a glare. She sighed. "Who's your successor?"

"You."

"–What!?–"

"You were excellent as acting Kazekage, now you're it officially."

Temari sputtered. "You… You can't!"

"I can and did. I'll see you around."

Then he was gone, leaving Temari alone in the Kazekage's office. She shook her head and yelled wordlessly to vent her anger. When she calmed down enough, she noticed he'd done the paperwork for her. Maybe Gaara wasn't such an asshole after all.

Gaara ran. He was rushing, knowing he really shouldn't. Kankurou would keep Neji safe. Kankurou would keep Gaara's child safe. It wasn't fear that drove him, but excitement. One couldn't tell by looking at his face, but he was immensely excited. He was going to be a father! He didn't care how; all he cared about was that his child's mother was going to be the man he loved. It was just semantics after that. So Gaara ran, wanting to be with Neji just to listen to their unborn child. Not a thought of danger crossed his mind; after all, who in their right mind would willingly mess with the family Sabaku no Gaara?

He made it to Konoha in record time, though he somehow managed to regain his composure and his breath before he walked though the gates. No one dared to stop him and he didn't bother anyone as he bee-lined for the meeting place. He couldn't understand why Neji wanted to meet him at Ichiraku until he saw the mop of blonde sitting on one stool, decidedly alone. Gaara loomed over Naruto, his glare having the potential to carve the blonde's skull in twain.

"Where's Neji?"

"He's asleep. It's naptime." Naruto replied nonchalantly, slurping up some noodles.

"That didn't answer the question."

"Sit down, relax. He's safe."

Growling, Gaara sat. He didn't like it, but he did it. Naruto finished off his soup and sighed, savouring the flavour. Finally, he turned to Gaara.

"He is, currently, living with me. Before you get your panties in a twist, listen." Naruto held up his hands in an innocent gesture. "I haven't touched him except to hold him down for ultrasounds. He's got the impression they'll hurt him, idiot."

Gaara stared at Naruto, deadly silent, for a long while. "He's fine?"

"They both are. Look, don't make any comments about his weight. Don't mention the doctor and whatever you do, do not mention tomatoes. For the love of all that is evil do –not– mention tomatoes."

Gaara quirked an eyebrow. "Okay."

Naruto sighed and nodded. "We scoped out a place, just for the two of you. It's in the quiet part of the shinobi community, close to a park. Neji seemed to enjoy that part the best. Kankurou says he'll cover rent for now and the girls are planning baby-showers. Don't mention that either."

"Sensitive, isn't he?"

"It's the hormones. Babies do weird things to people."

Gaara snorted. "Can I see Neji now?"

"Behave yourself."

The redhead gave Naruto a withering glare and Naruto was proud of his balls in the fact they didn't try to crawl into his body to hide in sheer terror. He led Gaara from Ichiraku to his apartment, neither man saying a word. Naruto unlocked his door and disarmed his traps, allowing Gaara inside the tiny sanctuary. The redhead moved into the room, listening before he moved, leaving Naruto standing alone in the front hall. Gaara moved quietly, not wanting to disturb Neji if he was sleeping, but needing to see him. He peeked into the room that Naruto had indicated and saw Neji asleep on the bed, curled around a slightly rounding stomach. Gaara smiled and quietly closed the door before he breathed the sigh of relief he'd been holding.

He moved back to where Naruto waited and gave the blonde a short nod. Naruto returned it, showed Gaara how to activate and deactivate the traps, and left. Gaara pulled off the Hyoutan and set it aside before he took a seat on Naruto's couch, listening to all the noises around him. He listened most of all to Neji and finally let a manic grin grow. He was here with his family, and woe to the asshole who harmed it.


	14. Chapter 14

XIV

Neji woke to the smell of yakitori. For a moment, he believed he had been taken back to the Hyuuga compound and his hand flew to his stomach. He was grateful to be lying down or he was sure he'd have fainted in relief at feeling the tell tale bump. Slowly he rose, pulling on the robe TenTen had given him, and quietly made his way to the kitchen. Naruto, who he had assumed had been the one cooking, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, someone else stood before the stove, carefully measuring sauce into a pan. Neji couldn't help the smirk that escaped.

"Didn't know you could cook, Gaara."

"Then prepare to be spoiled." came the curt reply. "Now shut up and sit down."

"Guinea pig?"

"Of course."

Neji couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he took a seat at the table, mouth already watering. He heard the click of the burners turning off and watched Gaara plate the wonderful-smelling yakitori for him. Gaara sat across from him, folded his arms over his chest and waited. Neji watched him for a moment before he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat, savouring the taste with an uncharacteristic mewl. The redhead relaxed visibly then and sighed.

"What are you tense about?" Neji asked, licking his fingers free of sauce.

"Would you enjoy my cooking for one thing."

Neji's hook his head. "No. I hate it. That's why I keep eating, so I can make you feel bad."

Gaara's lips twitched. "Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean I can't violate you."

Neji relaxed a bit more, smiling. It was this he missed, this banter back and forth, idle threats covering up their tree feelings. He shook his head and finished off his meal, sitting back with a satisfied smile.

"Who's Kazekage, then?"

"Temari. She'll hate me for a while, but once she realizes she is God, she'll love me again."

Neji winced. "Poor Suna."

Gaara grunted and rose to take care of the dishes before he moved over to Neji and jerked the brunette's chair away from the table. Neji yelped and watched Gaara kneel between his legs only to press an ear against the bump of his stomach. Neji placed his hand on Gaara's head and smiled.

"You can't hear him yet."

Gaara nuzzled the bump, giving a short growl. Neji only sighed and let the redhead do as he pleased. It didn't matter if Gaara couldn't hear the small life inside of Neji; what mattered was that it was there, growing within Neji.

Allowing him to see, Neji realized a moment later. Gaara must have felt the gentle jerk of realization from his lover, for he drew back and stared at the brunette with a raised eyebrow. Neji shook his head and closed his eyes, willing the tears away. Gaara gave him a warning snarl, one Neji replied with one of his own, before he finally looked the Suna shinobi in the eye.

"Our baby," Neji began, "is letting me see the world."

Gaara blinked before understanding dawned on him. "Chakra."

Neji nodded. "I can't believe I didn't recognize it sooner."

Gaara shrugged and pulled Neji into a loving kiss. "You're pregnant. Forgetfulness happens."

Neji snorted but remained silent. He had no way of knowing if this would be a permanent phenomenon – his sight returned because of the baby. So would it remain? Or would it disappear when the baby was born? Neji wasn't aware he'd begun to cry until Gaara enveloped him in his arms and held him tight. Gaara said nothing, just let Neji cry, soothing him with only a light hug.

"No matter what happens," Gaara whispered. "I will protect you."

Neji nodded and clung, closing his eyes as he breathed in the scent of sand, wind, and blood. Only the scent of blood remained the strongest, even after Neji had exhaled, but he forced any macabre thoughts from his mind and focused on his life now. On his family.


	15. Chapter 15

XV

When a plan goes awry – however meticulously planned it may have been – there is no choice but to form a back-up plan, a contingency, if you will. Such as it was that Hitatsu's contingency involved a long trip to Konohagakure and improvisation as he spied on the man he knew to be Hyuuga Neji. The longer he observed, the more aware he became about Neji's "condition". He discovered the Hyuuga was no longer blind, and he was carrying the most precious – and intriguing – cargo around in his belly.

Pure life, young and unadulterated, ripe for the harvesting. A child with the Byakugan – a newborn child – should be easy to harvest.

But he had to be extra careful with his planning now because the Hyuuga brat had surrounded himself with powerful friends. Uzumaki Naruto, the Kyuubi; the Kazekage and his brother; the Hokage and her assistant; Sharingan no Kakashi, and that was just the tip of the list. Hitatsu needed to make sure he neutralized any threat to his plan and he needed to make sure that no one was able to interfere with it as well. So the moment he completed his plan, he began to scout for a secluded place where no one would ask questions. He found an abandoned warehouse and began the renovations.

It was just as well Hitatsu had a project to occupy his time, for, as the months went by, he was able to determine the best course of action for dealing with the threats. Divide and conquer became his mantra, and by the middle of the eighth month – or so Hitatsu estimated – his plan's preparations were complete. The warehouse was fitted with all the equipment he needed, neat and sterile. The rooms he built were littered with traps meant to kill, but Hitatsu was no fool. What was meant to kill ninja would only delay them, but it would give him enough time to harvest the Byakugan. Now all he needed to do was to acquire his target. It was simple enough. Wave a little money under the noses of thugs and they were your slaves. A little extra sealed the promise of care. Hitatsu only had to wait for the delivery.

He didn't have to wait long – only a few hours, really – before his prize was delivered to him. Hitatsu enjoyed the way Neji writhed as he was forced down on the table and bound, how wide his eyes went when he saw Hitatsu and the scalpel in his hand. Hitatsu gave his little helpers the rest of their pay and watched them go before he turned his attention back to Neji. He began to hum as he worked, drowning out the Hyuuga's screams as he cut into flesh.

"Where is he!?" Gaara snarled as he pinned Naruto up against the wall of his apartment. Those expressive electric blue eyes flashed orange and Naruto shoved the former Kazekage away from him.

"I don't know!" Naruto yelled back. "But if you give me a goddamn minute I'll get you to him!"

Gaara fumed as he watched Naruto let Kyuubi come forward, blue eyes tinged orange as he scented for Neji. The blonde only cocked his head in warning to Gaara before he moved, bolting from the apartment to the street. The pair ran, Naruto quickly flashing a few seals. A toad appeared on Naruto's shoulder and then was gone in a puff of smoke as the pair continued on. Gaara didn't care where the beast had gone; he needed to get to Neji.

Naruto's nose led them to an old warehouse in the bad district of Konoha, and Gaara brushed past the blonde toward the door. A hard grip caught his wrist and Gaara turned to snarl at Naruto. The snarl died in his throat as he saw those rusty eyes staring at him.

"Don't be hasty," Naruto whispered – or was it Kyuubi? – as he released his hold. "We need to wait for backup."

"You wait for backup." Gaara hissed. "It isn't your mate that needs you."

Naruto's face hardened and he said nothing. He shoved Gaara forward and summoned another toad, instructing it to wait here for their backup. The toad dutifully nodded and Naruto turned to Gaara, flashing him a glare as a signal to move. Carefully, the pair entered the building, closing the door behind them. Their eyes adjusted and slowly they began to move forward. They escaped the first trap by sheer luck. They bounded through the other traps – obvious now that they knew what to look for – and made it to the final room.

Dead silence as they entered but both could smell blood. Naruto centered on it and glided forward, leading Gaara across the floor. As the approached the far wall, there was the muffled din of screaming.

"Neji." Gaara hissed, but Naruto help him back.

"Easy. Tripwire."

Gaara snarled but let Naruto disarm the trap – and felt himself tumble head over heels down a set of stairs. Gaara turned back just in time to see Naruto crushed by thick pieces of lumber and he could only hope Naruto had managed to pull off a kawarimi no jutsu in time. Still, Gaara was on his own now, so he crept silently down the stairs until he emerged into a cavernous room filled with all sorts of strange gadgets. His eyes settled on Neji, lying prone on a table, naked and bound, his chest still slowly rising. He was alive, which relieved Gaara immensely, but what drove that relief away was Neji's flat and bloody stomach. There were sutures showing he'd been taken care of, though not cleaned, but Gaara ignored that.

Where was his child?

Gaara stepped forward and felt his heart stop as he saw two tiny forms lying on a far table. Bloody and sticky, the twins were too silent, too still. Gaara quickly approached and felt the snare close around his ankle. He was too late to avoid it, upended and suspended upside down above the table upon which his children lay. He studied them – the girl was moving, however lethargically, but the boy – he was so small and blue, a scar crossing his right eye, still fresh and pink with blood. Gaara felt the anger rising, bubbling in his chest, and sent forth his chakra to the Hyoutan.

"You'll be finding you won't be able to reach your chakra." Hitatsu said, emerging from the shadows with a jar in hand. Gaara snarled, and the madman only smiled.

"Did you think I hadn't planned on you getting this far? Don't be silly. I've been watching you, Sabaku no Gaara. That thread is designed especially for you."

"What did you do to my son?" Gaara roared, struggling against the thread around his ankle, imperceptibly working a kunai out of his belt.

"Nothing he won't notice." Hitatsu replied. "Not for much longer."

Hitatsu held up the jar in his hand and Gaara went cold. Floating in the liquid was an orb, silvery and blank, like the Hyuuga clan's. Slowly, the madman pulled the orb from the jar and held his hand up, grinning. Gaara looked to his small son, back to Hitatsu and roared in anger. Hitatsu only 'tsk'ed and dropped the eye back into the liquid, moving over to Neji he stroked the Hyuuga's face lovingly before he picked up a needle and syringe, holding the tip just above the vein in Neji's arm.

"Get away from my cousin, you bastard!"


	16. Chapter 16

XVI

Hinata had run the moment Gamakichi had delivered his message and hopped away. She knew she'd made it to the right place when she saw another little toad bouncing excitedly outside the warehouse. She knew she should wait, but Naruto and Gaara and –Neji– were in there. She quickly activated her Byakugan and rushed in. All the traps had already been disarmed or set off, so she moved quickly unhindered. The last room she came to, she found Naruto, bruised but whole, pulling timber away from a doorway. He didn't have to say anything – Hinata knew and threw herself into the work until there was a hole big enough for her to squeeze through.

"Be careful," Naruto told her. "I'll go get Sakura and Tsunade."

"Thank you, Naruto." Hinata whispered.

"Thank me after this."

He vanished and Hinata continued down the stairs. She heard voices, but couldn't make out the words. Then there was a primal scream of pure rage before silence. She hit the landing and crept forward. She saw Gaara, suspended upside down above a table with two tiny forms on it. She saw Neji, comatose on another table and a stranger leaning over him, a syringe in hand. Anger rose within her and chakra crackled around her hand as she lunged.

"Get away from my cousin, you bastard!"

Her open palm, crackling with chakra, slammed into the stranger's surprised face. He screamed as skin melted away and bone shattered, the syringe and a jar flying from his hands.

"Hinata! Jar! Catch!" Gaara yelled. Instinctively, Hinata tucked her feet beneath her and tamped down, soaring through the air as her hands reached for the jar. Her fingers touched cool glass and she closed her hands around it, pulled it closer to her as she hit the floor and rolled. As she came to her feet, Hinata threw a kunai at the rope around Gaara's ankle and watch him fall.

For a moment, she thought he would land on the two infants, but the sand caught him and propelled him toward the man who'd been about to harm Neji. Hinata didn't need to watch to know the man was dying. He wasn't even given the mercy of the Sand Coffin. Still clutching the jar, Hinata ran to the infants and nearly began to cry. The little boy was so blue, so still, Hinata couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. The girl was waking, her tiny voice beginning to fill this dreadful chamber. Hinata tucked the jar into her kunai pouch and pulled off her jacket, wrapping her nephew in it before she attended to her niece, settling the girl against her brother.

Then Hinata turned to Neji, cutting off his bindings and working to get him lucid, pulling him off the table and onto his feet, letting him use her for support. Gaara was suddenly beside her, lips in a thin line, carrying Neji as Hinata took the rear position. They were almost out when she heard a voice cackling from below, and a fireball nearly consumed her and the twins. If Gaara's reflexes had been one millisecond slower, Hinata realized as the sand shield convalesced around her, she and the children would be dead.

Naruto met her at the door, eyes wild and rusty as he saw the red skin on her face and arms but said not a word as he hurried her away from the growing conflagration behind her. Hinata turned her niece and nephew over to Sakura and turned back to the building, Byakugan blazing.

"See anything?" Naruto questioned.

Hinata shook her head. "Nothing. But he was alive, Naruto. Gaara left him alive."

"Tsunade's posting ANBU everywhere. If he's alive, if he got out, they'll catch him."

"Neji?"

"They've all gone to the hospital. The boy's the worst." Naruto said. "Tremendous blood loss, and his eye's gone. Not to mention they're premature."

Hinata stiffened and her hand went to her kunai pouch, the jar pulled out and held in her hands. A small orb rolled around inside the liquid until it met her gaze, floating and accusing her almost. Hinata felt blood draining from her face and bolted for the hospital, Naruto close on her heels. She burst into the emergency room and slid over to the desk, panting, holding out the jar.

"Sakura," was all she said before a medic nin whisked it out of her hands and disappeared. Naruto took Hinata's elbow then, and drew her out of the emergency room, to a waiting room. She paced until Ino arrived and Hinata flew into her arms, clutching tight.

"Neji's fine," Ino said at Hinata's inquiry. "He's in a room and sedated. Gaara's with him."

"The babies?"

"The little girl is fine. She's kicking and screaming. But, the boy, well," Ino trailed off and looked away for a moment. "They don't know if he'll pull through. They're working on him right now and Sakura is positive she can save him. So we'll just have to trust her."

Hinata nodded and buried her face against Ino's chest. She prayed, prayed hard, that her nephew would live. She prayed he would be a testament to the cruelty visited upon him and survive.

She prayed, deeply desiring this little hope to flourish.


	17. Chapter 17

XVII

Neji woke, warm and calm, in a hospital room. He remembered Gaara telling him the twins – Twins! – were all right and all three of them were safe. He shifted and felt someone stir beside him. He slowly looked over at Gaara and smiled, earning a lip quirk in return. Gaara slowly drew his hand over Neji's face, stroking his cheeks and forehead. Neji began to move, to try and get up, and only looked to Gaara for help.

"I want to see them,"

Neji watched the covers get tossed away from him and let Gaara help him out of bed. The linoleum was cold beneath his feet until he found slippers and pulled on the robe Gaara procured for him. Leaning on the redhead for support, Neji slowly made it out of his room and toward the infant ward. It was slow going, as Neji constantly stopped to peer out of every window at the grounds, memorizing the scenery. Gaara understood, and stood by, lending his arm for support. Already Neji's vision was beginning to grey, his chakra pathways rerouting themselves back to normal now that no child was growing within him. Gaara let Neji have his indulgences; he'd had his, after all.

Hitatsu had survived Gaara's assault and the fire. Ibiki and Genma had tracked the bastard down and quickly arrested him – and his little helper, a kunoichi he'd bribed into aiding him. Judgment was passed too quickly for a trial for Hitatsu – the Hokage had given him to Gaara and the redhead was delighted to make the man bend in unusual ways. The kunoichi was merely sent to prison for aiding the fugitive and her mind erased by the Hokage a few days later.

Hitatsu's body – confirmed dead – had been burned and his ashes scattered to the winds.

Gaara spent his next few days watching over Neji and their children, whom he'd let Hinata name. It was the least he could do, since she had saved their lives. His daughter Hinata had named Ai, spunky little thing, and his son she'd named Ginko, though she'd waited until the boy was certain he wanted to live. Sakura and Tsunade had done all they could to save Ginko's eye, but though they'd reattached it and tested to make sure he could see, they weren't completely sure if he would be able to see anything but shadows with that eye.

When he was older, he would be trained to use his eye more than usual, especially if he had inherited the Byakugan. Ai would have an easier time of it, but Gaara wasn't sure he cared. He'd already decided he'd treat each child the same.

They slowly made their way down the hall, Neji already trailing his fingers along the wall as the shadows at the edges of his vision grew darker. Gaara pulled him into a quick kiss before they stopped at the glass and looked through at their children. Neji felt tears sliding down his face at seeing both children alive and in perfect health.

"They're beautiful," Neji whispered. Gaara made a grunting noise. "Who named them?"

"Hinata." Gaara replied. "I asked her to."

Neji nodded and leaned closer to Gaara, arming himself against his lover. Gaara only put an arm around his shoulders and sought out Neji's reflection in the glass. Neji was beautiful, sunlight hitting those moonlight eyes and making them seem a bit more lifelike. Gaara watched those orbs slowly begin to lose focus, to dull and become blind once again. But to Gaara, it didn't matter if Neji could actually see or not. To Gaara and to Neji, what mattered was that they were alive. That they and their children were together.

What mattered most was that they were a family.

-Owari-


End file.
